2. Jupiter gives off more energy than it receives from the Sun.
What
is the source of this excess energy?

lightning bolts in the atmosphere

internal heat left over from its formation

the tidal force between the planet and the Sun

energy absorbed from beyond the solar system and then re-emitted

3. What is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot thought to be?

a disturbance in its atmosphere where some type of asteroid hit
the
planet

the outgassing of an enormous volcano

a violent and long-lived storm, like a cyclone

a portion of the atmosphere where the composition is different,
causing
it to reflect different colors

an enormous lake of burning sulfur

4. From the observed densities of the Jovian planets, we infer
that
they are made primarily of ?

oxygen.

iron.

carbon dioxide.

nitrogen.

hydrogen.

5. Why do the giant planets have rings and the terrestrial planets
do not?

coincidence

The inner solar system was cleared of debris by the solar wind
early in
its history.

The large gravity of the giant planets meant that colliding
satellites
would break up into smaller pieces that would form a ring.

The large gravity of the giant planets produced strong tidal
forces
that
prevented satellite formation close to the planet.

Only the giant planets have a Roche limit.

6. Amalthea is a small and irregularly shaped satellite orbiting
close
to Jupiter. What is a reasonable inference about Amalthea?

It might be a captured asteroid.

It is material that broke away from Jupiter.

It broke off one of the larger Jovian satellites.

It is small because tidal forces prevented it from becoming
larger.

No inference can be made without further information.

7. What makes it possible for astronomers to calculate the masses
of the Jovian planets?

the presence of magnetic fields.

the presence of satellites.

their known diameters.

their known densities.

their known distances.

8. Which one of the Jovian planets and Pluto has the most extreme
seasonal variations?

Saturn

Pluto

Jupiter

Uranus

Neptune

9. Which of the following quantities determines whether a planet
will
exhibit seasons?

average distance from the Sun

rotation period

density

atmospheric composition

axial tilt

10. What do astronomers infer about Jupiter from the presence of
its
magnetic field?

the presence of a small metallic core.

the presence of a rotating core of liquid metallic hydrogen in
the
interior.

the presence of a metallic core occupying at least 50% of the
planet’s
volume.

the presence of extensive storm systems on the planet’s surface.

the emission of about twice as much energy as is received from
the Sun.

11. Jupiter’s Galilean satellites have higher densities than the
satellites
of the other Jovian planets. We can infer that the Galilean satellites
contain more _____ than the satellites of the other Jovian planets.

water ice

methane and ammonia ices

liquid water

silicate materials like the Moon

mixtures of all the above

12. Which features characterize Io?

a heavily cratered surface

a smooth, featureless surface

volcanic flows

cratered regions as well as smooth, mare-like areas

regions containing linear fault-like structures

13. What features characterize Ganymede?

a heavily cratered surface

a smooth, featureless surface

volcanic flows

cratered regions as well as smooth, mare-like areas

regions containing fault-like structures

14. What might you reasonably conclude about the origin of a small
Jovian satellites that orbit in a direction opposite to the largest
satellites?

They were captured asteroids.

They were captured comets.

They formed from debris left over after the larger satellites
formed.

They formed from debris that was produced when two other Jovian
satellites
collided.

No reasonable hypotheses are available.

15. How can one explain the observation that so many

of Saturn’s satellites are so different on opposite sides?

each satellite is formed differently

the rotation periods are the same as the revolution period

tidal heating of the satellites closest to the planet

different chemical compositions on different sides

rapid rotations for the satellites

16. What features characterize Titan?

bright, wispy structures covering the surface

the presence of an extremely large crater

the presence of an atmosphere

one side being bright and the other being dark

a bright, geologically young surface

17. Why were the ring "spokes" observed in Saturn’s ring system
unexpected?

Because, according to Newton’s laws, the material forming the
spokes
should
form a small satellite.

Because, according to Newton’s laws, as the particles collide,
they
should
be ejected from the ring system.

Because, according to Kepler’s 3rd law, the particles
forming
the spokes should spread around the rings rapidly.

Because, according to the theory of the Roche limit, the dust
particles
making the spokes should not be present.

18. What is at least one reason why rings are thought to be
sharp-edged,
rather than fuzzy-edged?

19. In which one of the following ways is Pluto similar to the
Jovian?

It has a low density.

It has a strong magnetic field.

It has a satellite.

Its composition is hydrogen and helium.

20. Pluto’s formation is puzzling. How do astronomers now believe
it formed?

It was an ejected satellite from Neptune.

It was an ejected satellite from Uranus.

It was torn from a passing cloud of material.

It condensed from the solar nebula.

Either A or D could be correct

21. Which of the following planets would come closest to floating
in a giant interplanetary bathtub filled with water?

Jupiter

Mercury

Saturn

Neptune

Uranus

22. Why is the interior of Io so hot?

Jupiter exerts strong tidal forces on it.

Jupiter’s magnetic field causes an electrical current to flow
through
it.

Jupiter bombards Io with radioactivity from its Van Allen belts.

It has active volcanoes.

It is often struck by passing comets and asteroids.

23. How are the periodic variations (every 6 days) seen in Pluto’s
brightness explained?

by aurorae generated by Pluto’s magnetic field as the planet spins

by small amounts of volcanic activity

by seasonal changes affecting the colors of the planet’s surface

by the changing distance of Pluto from the Sun

by bright and dark areas on the surface of a rotating planet

24. A friend of yours argues that Pluto is probably an escaped
satellite
of one of the giant planets. What piece of evidence could you cite that
would best argue -against- this idea?

Pluto has a Moon of its own.

The inclination of Pluto’s orbit to the ecliptic plane.

Pluto has a very low mass.

The eccentricity of Pluto’s orbit.

Pluto would be orbiting in the other direction if this idea was
true.

25. Two planets have equal mass and equal amounts of atmosphere of
identical chemical composition, but one is closer to the Sun than the
other.
Which statement will be true?

After a time, the planet closer to the Sun will have less
atmosphere

After a time, the planet closer to the Sun will have more
atmosphere

Distance from the Sun should not affect the amount of atmosphere

26. Which one of the following is composed primarily of hydrogen
and
helium?

the giant planets only

the terrestrial planets only

all of the planets

none of the planets

27. What is density?

the volume containing a mass of 1 mass unit.

the weight contained inside a volume of 1 volume unit.

the amount by which something is condensed.

the number of molecules of air inside one square centimeter.

the amount of mass inside a volume of 1 volume unit.

28. Which of the following is -not- characteristic of the
terrestrial
planets?

short period of rotation around the Sun

closeness to the Sun

small number of natural satellites

high density

large mass

29. Why did proto-terrestrial planets have a different chemical
composition
than proto-jovian planets?

They formed from radically different material.

Terrestrial planets are smaller than Jovian planets.

High temperatures in the inner solar system made the difference.

The many satellites of the Jovian planets changed the planet’s
atmosphere.

Jovian planets are much larger than terrestrial planets.

Which of the following lists the planets in order of their
average
distance
from the Sun?

Mercury, Earth, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus,
Pluto

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Uranus, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune,
Pluto

Mars, Venus, Earth, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune,
Pluto

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune,
Pluto

Mars, Venus, Earth, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune,
Pluto

31. Why is Pluto not always the most distant planet from the Sun?

Its epicycle is so large that it carries the planet both closer
and
farther
than Neptune from the Sun.

Its orbit is more elliptical than the orbit of other planets.

The statement is false; Pluto is always the most distant planet.

32. Which one of the following statements concerning comets is
correct?

Comets appear to come primarily from the direction of the
constellation
Hercules.

Comets are observed in all directions on the celestial sphere.

Comets are best seen after midnight.

Comets orbit the Sun in nearly circular orbits.

33. Suppose you wanted to study objects whose chemical make-up was
most like that of the solar system at the time it formed. Thus, you
would
want to study objects that had undergone the least amount of chemical
change.
Which one of the following would contain such material and thus be the
best to study?

the giant planets

the asteroids

the comets

iron meteorites

the Earth

34. What is the source of particles that impinge on the Earth
during
a meteor shower?

stray material from the asteroid belt

a pervasive distribution of dust particles that exists throughout
the
ecliptic
plane of the solar system

material evaporated from and strewn out along the orbits of comets

ejecta from impacts on the lunar surface that fall to Earth

primary cosmic ray particles

35. What is a meteor?

a rock traveling through space

a rock traveling through the Earth’s atmosphere

a luminous trail left by a rock passing through the atmosphere

a rock from space that has passed through the atmosphere and
landed on
the Earth’s surface

all the above

36. Which of the following best argues -against- the asteroids
coming
from the breakup of a planet?

The asteroid orbits are confined to the ecliptic.

The average asteroid diameter is only a few kilometers in size.

Some asteroids are reddish while others are dark.

The total amount of mass in the asteroid belt is small compared
to a
planet.

The asteroids are gaseous while the planets are rocky.

37. What is a strong piece of evidence that the solar system is
surrounded
by some kind of "comet cloud"?

The effect of the cloud’s gravity on the orbit of Neptune.

The detection of faint objects in the comet cloud by sensitive
telescopes.

The fact that nearby stars perturb objects in the cloud into
orbits
that
pass near the Sun.

The fact that the composition of comets gives us clues about the
composition
of the early Solar Nebula.

The fact that comets exist now, 5 billion years after the solar
system
formed.